How Chinese artist Song Dong’s exhibitions of Covid-era works remind us of a ‘universal desire for connection’ lost during the pandemic

The art of Song Dong has always been deeply personal.

Born in 1966, the artist is known for using both his own body and his native Beijing as a canvas to explore ideas of change and impermanence.

For example, he “froze” his own breath on the winter slabs of Tiananmen Square for the performance piece Breathing in 1996, and, like the old men who show off their calligraphy in local parks by writing on the ground in water, Song’s Writing Diary with Water (1995) evaporates soon after he records a fleeting moment on stone.

His family also looms large in his world view. Waste Not (from 2005) is a series of emotional installations assembled from his frugal mother’s lifelong acquisition of humble possessions. And last year, at Pace Gallery’s Hong Kong space, he curated an exhibition of Yin Xiuzhen, his wife and frequent collaborator.
Chinese artist Song Dong. Photo: Shanghai Glass Museum
Chinese artist Song Dong. Photo: Shanghai Glass Museum

“Song Dong’s art always explores the experience and process of change in surrounding environments, the constant quest for discourse and stimulation, as well as the openness of possibility,” says Leng Lin, partner and president, Asia of Pace Gallery and, since 2005, his co-creator, along with artists Liu Jianhua, Hong Hao and Xiao Yu, in provocative collective Polit-Sheer-Form Office (PSFO).

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Could This Under-the-Radar AI Company Become the Next Nvidia?

Quantum computing stocks are swiftly becoming the next big theme within the artificial intelligence (AI) megatrend. As investors hunt for the next Nvidia, attention is shifting toward quantum computing — a field that could mark the next major leap in processing power. D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +5.12%) stands out as one of the few public companies

25 October 2025

Is T-Mobile making AT&T and Verizon sweat?

AT&T and Verizon have been running media campaigns accusing T-Mobile of misleading customers with its claims of having the best network. T-Mobile has shot back, pointing to its stellar Q3 results to assert that its rivals are feeling pressured by its growth. The search for the best T-Mobile was the hot favorite in Q3. It

25 October 2025

Celebrities Who Chopped Their Hair Short And Never Went Back

Bettmann/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. There’s a reason why certain haircuts outlive red carpets and movie posters. For many stars, a drastic chop is a phase, a publicity stunt, or a role requirement. Grow it out, add some extensions, and

25 October 2025